@,,,@,,,@,                                          @@@,@,@@,@
@,,@@,,@@,                                          ,,@@@@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@@                                          ,@,,,@@,@@
@@@@@@@@,@                                          @@,,@,@@,,
,,,,,,,@@,                                          ,@,@@@,@,@
,,,,,,@,@@                WINDS ESKER               @@@,,@@@@@
,,,,,@@@,, ---------------------------------------- ,,@,@,,,,@
,,,,@,,@,@                                          ,@@@@,,,@@
,,,@@,@@@, THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR  TWO YEARS @,,,@,,@,@
,,@,@@,,@, I COULDN'T GO TO.  REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH @,,@@,@@@@
,@@@,@,@@, DISCUSSED WITH  OTHERS,  OR POINTED  OUT @,@,@@,,,@
@,,@@@@,@@ ON MAPS, I COULD  NOT THINK  OF IT  WHEN @@@@,@,,@@
@,@,,,@@,@ ALONE. I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST  THE ,,,@@@,@,,
@@@,,@,@@@ FORK, WHERE  A RIGHT TURN  WOULD  SURELY ,,@,,@@@,@
,,@,@@@,,@ TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ,@@,@,,@@,
,@@@,,@,@@               KEPT ME AWAY.              @,@@@,@,@,
@,,@,@@@,,                                          @@,,@@@@@,
@,@@@,,@,@ WHEN I  FINALLY  GOT  THERE,  AFTER SOME ,@,@,,,,@@
@@,,@,@@@,     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     @@@@,,,@,,
,@,@@@,,@@ ASSUME,  THE   PLACE   WAS  SURREAL.  AN ,,,@,,@@,@
@@@,,@,@,, ESKER,  LIKE A  NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT  IN ,,@@,@,@@@
,,@,@@@@,, THE  LAKE,  BUT   TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND ,@,@@@@,,,
,@@@,,,@,, ADORNED IN  BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN,  AND @@@,,,@,,,
@,,@,,@@,@               BLUEBERRIES.               ,,@,,@@,,,
@,@@,@,@@@                                          ,@@,@,@,,@
@@,@@@@,,@ WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO @,@@@@@,@,
,@@,,,@,@, NOTICE THE VIEW TO  EITHER  SIDE.  THERE @@,,,,@@@@
@,@,,@@@@, SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ,@,,,@,,,@
@@@,@,,,@, DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM.  FIRST OFF,  THEY @@,,@@,,@,
,,@@@,,@@, WERE MUCH TOO  CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD ,@,@,@,@@@
,@,,@,@,@, STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED METERS  MORE  ON @@@@@@@,,@
@@,@@@@@@@ BOTH  SIDES. BUT  NOW  I  FELT  I  COULD ,,,,,,@,@@
,@@,,,,,,@ ALMOST  REACH  OUT AND TOUCH  THEM.  AND ,,,,,@@@,,
@,@,,,,,@@ THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH  SHORES THEY ,,,,@,,@,,
@@@,,,,@,,           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ,,,@@,@@,@
,,@,,,@@,@                                          ,,@,@@,@@,
,@@,,@,@@@ THEY  WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS ,@@@,@@,@,
@,@,@@@,,,      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       @,,@@,@@@,
@@@@,,@,,, BIPARTITE. LIKE A  PAIR OF  LUNGS CARVED @,@,@@,,@@
,,,@,@@,,@ INTO THE  GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN @@@@,@,@,,
,,@@@,@,@@   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ,,,@@@@@,,
,@,,@@@@,,      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ,,@,,,,@,,
@@,@,,,@,@    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     ,@@,,,@@,,
,@@@,,@@@@ UNDERSTOOD THEM AS  BELONGING MANY MILES @,@,,@,@,@
@,,@,@,,,@                  AWAY.                   @@@,@@@@@@
@,@@@@,,@@                                          ,,@@,,,,,,
@@,,,@,@,, I  EXAMINED  THE   RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ,@,@,,,,,@
,@,,@@@@,, ABOVE.  WAS THIS WHAT YOU SAW  OPPOSITE, @@@@,,,,@,
@@,@,,,@,@ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ,,,@,,,@@,
,@@@,,@@@@                REMEMBER.                 ,,@@,,@,@@
@,,@,@,,,,                                          ,@,@,@@@,@
@,@@@@,,,@ CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON  THE VERY TIP  OF @@@@@,,@@,
@@,,,@,,@, THE ESKER,  I FOUND  THE  RUINS OF  SOME ,,,,@,@,@@
,@,,@@,@@,    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    ,,,@@@@@,,
@@,@,@@,@,  MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH ,,@,,,,@,,
,@@@@,@@@@ THE  MOSS, AND  STRANGE  SLABS  INSERTED ,@@,,,@@,@
@,,,@@,,,, INTO THE SLOPE  LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST  THE @,@,,@,@@@
@,,@,@,,,@              GROUND ITSELF.              @@@,@@@,,,
@,@@@@,,@,                                          ,,@@,,@,,@
@@,,,@,@@@ SITTING  THERE, I  COULD SEE  ACROSS THE ,@,@,@@,@,
,@,,@@@,,@ NARROWED LAKE  MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I @@@@@,@@@@
@@,@,,@,@@ SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF  MY HOUSE, ,,,,@@,,,@
,@@@,@@@,@ THROUGH THE  OLD WOODS BEHIND  THE  TILE ,,,@,@,,@,
@,,@@,,@@,      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ,,@@@@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@@ TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN BACK  UNDER  IT, ,@,,,@@,@@
@@@@@@@@,@ THROUGH  THE   FANCY  VILLAS,  OVER  THE @@,,@,@@,,
,,,,,,,@@, FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT  THE ,@,@@@,@,@
,,,,,,@,@@                   FORK.                  @@@,,@@@@@
,,,,,@@@,,                                          ,,@,@,,,,@
,,,,@,,@,@ AND  THEN THE  STAIRS UP  ON  THE RIDGE. ,@@@@,,,@@
,,,@@,@@@, THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS  PROBABLY IT. @,,,@,,@,@
,,@,@@,,@, HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE,  THERE  WERE STAIRS @,,@@,@@@@
,@@@,@,@@, MUCH LIKE  THE ONES I CURRENTLY  SAT ON, @,@,@@,,,@
@,,@@@@,@@ OLD  AND  WORN DOWN,  THAT LEAD  YOU  UP @@@@,@,,@@
@,@,,,@@,@ ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY.  HAD ,,,@@@,@,,
@@@,,@,@@@ I INSTED OPTED TO  WALK THE PATH AT  ITS ,,@,,@@@,@
,,@,@@@,,@ FOOT, I'M SURE  MY  EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ,@@,@,,@@,
,@@@,,@,@@          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          @,@@@,@,@,
@,,@,@@@,,                                          @@,,@@@@@,
@,@@@,,@,@ ---------------------------------------- ,@,@,,,,@@
@@,,@,@@@,                                          @@@@,,,@,,
,@,@@@,,@@ ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE   PEOPLE  IN ,,,@,,@@,@
@@@,,@,@,, BOATS. I WONDERED,  COULD THEY EVEN  SEE ,,@@,@,@@@
,,@,@@@@,, ME? IF  I SHOUTED,  WOULD  THEY  TURN TO ,@,@@@@,,,
,@@@,,,@,,          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         @@@,,,@,,,
@,,@,,@@,@                                          ,,@,,@@,,,
@,@@,@,@@@                                          ,@@,@,@,,@
@@,@@@@,,@                                          @,@@@@@,@,
,@@,,,@,@,                                          @@,,,,@@@@
@,@,,@@@@,                                          ,@,,,@,,,@